If you’re dreaming of a Cambodian island getaway, it’s not too early to start planning!
Reminding Thailand of the good old days on Koh Rong.
There are a number of islands that are an easy trip from Phnom Penh via Sihanoukville — here are my top choices:
Koh Rong
This island is one of the most beautiful in Cambodia, or the Gulf of Thailand. On Koh Rong placid turquoise waters lap against sparkling white sand beaches. The island is remarkably undeveloped and there’s not a lot to do — you’ll have to be content with jungle hikes, diving, snorkeling and sitting on the beach drinking Cambodia beer. For food there’s a Thai chef offering her native fare and not one, but two Italian chefs who’ve made the island home and dishing up pasta and pizzas out of a wood-fired oven for visitors. You can also get inexpensive seafood dinners for very little. Check out the best places to stay on Koh Rong.
Waiting for something to happen on Koh Russei.
Koh Russei
Also known as Bamboo Island, Koh Russei is only an hour by boat from Sihanoukville, which makes it one of the easiest islands to get to from Phnom Penh. Accommodations are very basic and all bungalows have shared toilets. But if you’re looking for a crowd and a party, this old favorite is the place to go.
Be sure to bring sunblock to Lazy Beach on Koh Rong Sanloem.
Koh Rong Sanloem
My two favourite places to stay are on opposite sides of Koh Rong Sanloem and offer two very different experiences. Lazy Beach is where embassy employees go to get away — the bungalows are large, clean and well-maintained and even picky types will have a hard time finding fault with their setup. They’ve also got a badminton net, volleyball setup, lots of board games and table tennis. The bungalows at M’pay Bay are more rustic and less relaxing — you stay just next to a fishing village and will almost definitely get woken up by roosters crowing. But that’s the appeal of the place, getting to see a rural Cambodia village up close without being on some weirdly invasive danger trip.
How can I book bungalow at Koh Russei? We’re planning to stay there for about 2 days. I couldn’t contact them.
They have all closed, unfortunately. A resort is being built there now.
hi lina
we are going to koh rong samloem .. we were trying to decide between lazy beach and saracan bay resort.. we where swaying towards saracan bay resort as it has white sand (which we prefer) and gorgeous sunsets apparantly, but the price seem awfully steep for 3 guests considering 1 person has to sleep on the floor on a mattress… i believe the sand at lazy beach is more golden is this true? do you have a preference with regards to lazy beach and saracen bay resort? thank you so much for any assistance and advice you may have.
Lazy Beach has yellow sand. The positive to Lazy Beach is that it is a private beach, only for Lazy Beach guests. The downside is that they are often booked solid. So you might ask both places about availability and decide that way.
thanks lina… both have availability atm for our dates.. so just trying to work out what our best option is.. is the sand at lazy beach nice? and is it far to walk from lazy beach to saracen bay? thank you again for being so helpful.
The walk is 20-30 minutes to Saracen Bay. I don’t have any preference between the two. Lazy Beach is definitely quieter, though. Both had nice beaches the last time I visited.
thanks again lina… your fabulous